Ecclesiastes 1:16

Ecclesiastes 1:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
• New International Version (NIV)I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)I said in my heart, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
• New King James Version (NKJV)I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.”

Context of Ecclesiastes 1:16

14I thought about all the things that people do on the earth. I realized that all these things have no purpose. It is like somebody who tries to catch the wind. 15If someone has bent something, you cannot always make it straight again. You cannot count things, if they are not there. I said to myself, ‘Listen! I have become very wise! I am much wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I know a lot more things than they ever did!’ 17So I decided to study how much wisdom and knowledge really help a person. I wanted to learn if it was better than someone who only does foolish things. But this was also useless, like somebody who tries to catch the wind. 18The more wisdom you have, the more you will worry. The more you learn, the more you suffer.

Ecclesiastes 1:16 word by word

דִּבַּ֨רְתִּי אֲנִ֤י עִם־לִבִּי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אֲנִ֗י הִנֵּ֨ה הִגְדַּ֤לְתִּי וְהוֹסַ֙פְתִּי֙ חָכְמָ֔ה עַ֛ל כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה לְפָנַ֖י עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְלִבִּ֛י רָאָ֥ה הַרְבֵּ֖ה חָכְמָ֥ה וָדָֽעַת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I communedדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• with mine own heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Lo, I am come to great estateגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431
• and have gottenיָסַףyâsaph · to addH3254
• more wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
• that have been beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• me in Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
• had greatרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• experienceרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: examineH7200
• and knowledgeדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 1:16

• 2 Kings 5:20Elisha's servant, Gehazi, thought, ‘My master did not accept the gifts that Naaman offered to him. He made it too easy for that Syrian man. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him. I will accept a gift from him.’
• Psalms 4:4Shake with fear and stop doing wrong things! Lie on your bed and think quietly about your life. Selah.
• Psalms 77:6At night, I remember the songs that I sang before. I think carefully about what is happening.
• Isaiah 10:7But Assyria's ruler has other ideas. He does not understand that he is my weapon. He wants his army to destroy many nations, so that they have no power.
• Jeremiah 22:14He says, “I will build a great palace for myself. It will have large rooms upstairs.” He puts windows in its walls. He covers the walls with cedar wood. He uses red paint to make it beautiful.
• Ezekiel 38:10This is what the Almighty Lord says: On that day you will have evil thoughts. You will decide to do a wicked thing.
• Daniel 4:30The king said, ‘Look how great Babylon is! It is the city that I have built to be my home as king. It shows that I am a great and powerful king!’
• Ecclesiastes 2:9As a result, I was greater than anyone who had ever lived in Jerusalem before me. And I continued to follow the way of wisdom.
• 1 Kings 4:30Solomon was wiser than all the wise men in the East and all the wise men in Egypt.
• 1 Kings 10:7But I did not believe those things until I came here. Now I have seen everything with my own eyes, and it is true! Really, they told me less than half of what was true! You are even wiser and richer than the report that people told me.
• 2 Chronicles 1:10So please give me wisdom and knowledge, so that I can be a good leader of these people. I will only be able to rule this great nation of your people if you do that for me.’
• 2 Chronicles 2:12Huram also said, ‘Praise the Lord, Israel's God! He made the whole universe. He has now given a wise son to King David, a son who is clever and who understands things well. He will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.
• 2 Chronicles 9:22King Solomon was richer and wiser than any other king in the world.
• Hebrews 5:14People who have grown up eat proper food. In the same way, people who have been believers for a long time should understand more about God's message. They should have learned about what is good and about what is bad. They should know the difference between those.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 1:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16I communed with mine own heart - Literally, "I spoke, I, with my heart, saying." When successful in my researches, but not happy in my soul, though easy in my circumstances, I entered into my own heart, and there inquired the cause of my discontent. He found that, though - He had gotten wisdom beyond all men; Wealth and honors more than any other; Practical wisdom more than all his predecessors; Had tried pleasure and animal gratification, even to their…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16I am come … - Rather, I have accumulated (literally “enlarged and added”) wisdom more than etc. They that have been … - The reference is probably to the line of Canaanite kings who lived in Jerusalem before David took it, such as Melchizedek Genesis 14:18, Adonizedek Joshua 10:1, and Araunah 2 Samuel 24:23; or, it may be, to Solomon‘s contemporaries of his own country 1 Kings 4:31 and of other countries who visited him 1 Kings 4:34; 1 Kings 10:24. for…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-18Verses 12-18 Solomon tried all things, and found them vanity. He found his searches after knowledge weariness, not only to the flesh, but to the mind. The more he saw of the works done under the sun, the more he saw their vanity; and the sight often vexed his spirit. He could neither gain that satisfaction to himself, nor do that good to others, which he expected. Even the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom discovered man's wickedness and misery; so that the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-18The Teacher examines how wisdom, work, and pleasure relate to each other.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. communed with ... heart--(Ge 24:45). come to great estate--Rather, "I have magnified and gotten" (literally, "added," increased), &c. all ... before me in Jerusalem--namely, the priests, judges, and two kings that preceded Solomon. His wisdom exceeded that of all before Jesus Christ, the antitypical Koheleth, or "Gatherer of men," (Lu 13:34), and "Wisdom" incarnate (Mt 11:19; 12:42). had ... experience--literally, "had seen" (Jr 2:31). Contrast with…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 1:16

• Instruction
• Investigation
• Science
• Solomon

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• Sun
• Vanity
• Ecclesiastes, the Preacher
• Experience
• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings